Records created and used by the Edison Telephone Company of London Limited

This collection consists of phone books (1880) and secretariat records (1879-80).

The Edison Telephone Company of London Limited was floated on 2 August 1879 with its headquarters and an exchange at 6 Lombard Street, although the exchange was then transferred exchange to 11 Queen Victoria Street. It brought a legal case against The Telephone Company regarding the infringement of patent rights although this case was ultimately withdrawn due to the merger of these companies on 13 May 1880 to form The United Telephone Company.

In September 1879 representatives of the Edison Telephone Company went to Manchester and gave a practical demonstration by fitting instruments fitted at either end of an existing telegraph wire between Manchester and Dinting, a distance of 13 miles. Exchanges were then opened in Manchester on behalf of the company.

Available for research at BT Group Archives, see www.bt.com/archives.

These records were transferred from the Post Office Archives between 1 June 1991 and 30 April 1992.

Full catalogues for BT Group Archives can be searched at www.bt.com/archivesonline.